Factors determining perceived orthodontic treatment need in adolescents of Swedish and immigrant background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between self-perceived orthodontic treatment need and malocclusion in 12 to 13-year-old-adolescents of Swedish and immigrant background. The sample consisted of 379 students, stratified according to geographic background: both parents born in A/Sweden (n=269), B/Eastern Europe (n=56), and C/the Middle East (n=54). Registrations were based on a questionnaire, a clinical examination, radiographs, and patient records. Treatment need was classified according to the Dental Health Component (DHC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). Logistic regression analysis was used for comparison of the results. There was a strong association between subjects who thought that they needed an orthodontic appliance and IOTN-DHC grades 4 and 5, an anterior crossbite, those who avoided smiling because of their teeth, and those who considered their teeth to be somewhat worse or much worse than those of their peers. The self-perceived need for orthodontic treatment was significantly (P<0.05) higher in the Swedish than in the eastern European group.